Facts don’t lie; neither should your resume
They say that there is a time and place for everything. Nowhere is that more true than in a job search.
While it’s never OK to lie at any time during a job search, a resume is one place where – due to the nature of the beast – facts are paramount. Let’s face it, resumes are by their very nature fact-based. You worked for ABC Company from month, year until month, year. There’s no way around that. You held this position (title). You graduated from this institution at such and such a time with a degree in your major.
It’s all very straight forward. Unfortunately, your resume will be cut and dried – just like everyone else’s. Your resume – in and of itself – will probably not get you the job. It can be your foot in the door however; a way to demonstrate to the prospective employer that you belong, that you’re qualified.
Think back over the years to all the instances where people have outright lied on their resumes. Ultimately, they all get caught and, when they do, it’s doesn’t end well. But end, it does.
Once your resume has proven to the employer that you belong there, that’s when you can differentiate yourself. Just because it’s come down to you and someone else and you’re both Project Managers, that doesn’t mean that you’re identical.
It’s in that interview where you can distinguish yourself. That’s when you show that you’re not just any Project Manager – and here’s why.
Note, no one said anything about lying, or embellishing, or stretching the truth. This is not a license to lie, 007. You still have to be truthful, but in telling your particular story, that’s the big difference. That’s where you show how much of a better candidate you are than the other project manager.
When it comes down to the two of you, it may be your fact-based resume that got you there, but it’s you and your ability to weave a story that will resonate with that interviewer that will carry the day.